I am stalled on Atkins

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coreytess
coreytess Posts: 7
in Health and Weight Loss
What can you do if you get stalled for a week and you haven't cheated at all?

I actually eat less and less everyday to try and force the scale down a little more... i can tell i look better, but i was losing like a pound a day and now its been stuck for like a week..

Any advice?


LADIES: Do you notice it has anything to do with that time of the month?

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  • auctoritas
    auctoritas Posts: 204
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    For most women, including me, your weight will spike UP just before or at the beginning of that time of the month due to hormones and water retention. I don't think there's a lot you can do about it, but it goes away over the next few days. YMMV.

    As for stalling, I wouldn't worry about a week-long stall. However, there are a few things you can try. You can have a fasting day, a cheat day, or eat more calories than you normally would in one day. Any of those should be enough to surprise your metabolism, especially if you tend to eat the same sorts of things every day.

    But seriously maybe give your stall another week or two. On lower carb diets, some people find that their weight stops moving down, but while that's happening, they lose inches, so keep an eye on that. :)
  • hottottie11
    hottottie11 Posts: 907 Member
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    What can you do if you get stalled for a week and you haven't cheated at all?

    I actually eat less and less everyday to try and force the scale down a little more... i can tell i look better, but i was losing like a pound a day and now its been stuck for like a week..

    Any advice?


    LADIES: Do you notice it has anything to do with that time of the month?

    You're losing inches and that's more important in my opinion.

    I tend to gain around my period as well, but it should be worth noting that, while you lose weight quickly in the beginning with Atkins, it ultimately slows down. You will find your weight loss long term to be comparable to someone who simply reduced their calories.

    Also a "one-week" stall isn't really a stall.
  • coreytess
    coreytess Posts: 7
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    thanks for the feedback... i was so stoked about the 20lbs that it hurts to see it slow down... but i will stick to it and try switching up the foods for a couple of days..
  • Lift_hard_eat_big
    Lift_hard_eat_big Posts: 2,278 Member
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    How long have you been on the diet?
  • gklose
    gklose Posts: 6 Member
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    Stalls are very common (even slight weight gains), and can happen for a variety of reasons. I found out a bunch of this on an Atkins-friendly site called lowcarbsite. I've even been on extended stalls myself, and there doesn't seem to be much of a strategy to handle it other than to stick with the program (and as people on that site will often point out -- stick exactly to that program, and not some other variation you make up yourself) -- counting net carbs correctly (and completely!), not overeating protein, keeping to limits on cheese, cream and artificial sweeteners, and keeping up fiber and water intake. And even then, exercise, periods, "regularity" and other things can affect whether or not you are on a stall.

    Atkins himself, in his books, pointed out there is a rare percentage of people that are metabolically resistant, and he gives a suggestion of what to try next. I don't think that is recommended for the average person on the plan, though. It is a special case.
  • gammybarb
    gammybarb Posts: 34 Member
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    Many times a stall is because of water. After you lose some fat it's replaced by water. Once you lose that then you once again lose fat. Stalls are possible on all diet plans because your body needs time to adjust to the changes. Stick with it and don't give up. I have been on Atkins for 8 years or more. I lost all of my weight but when I got cancer I had to gain weight/doctors orders. Anyway after all that stuff I went back on Atkins and now have less than 20 pounds to go. Stalls are very common with low carb. Make sure you are not sneaking in a few carbs and continue drinking your water. If you want to move on go halfway to phase 2 instead of all the way and see if you are still losing. Then go on to a full phase 2. I found that I cannot eat more than 35-40 carb grams per day or I start to gain.

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